Work for Justice, Release our Attachment and Trust Jesus to form Us into a People of Compassion.

Collect: Proper 23

Lord, we pray that your grace may always precede and follow us, that we may continually be given to good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

Job 23:1-9, 16-17. . .  Job  wants God to hear his case in person.

Psalm 22:1-15 . . . The Cry of the Forsaken

Hebrews 4:12-16 . . . only through Jesus can the kingdom come — as our apostle and high priest, he builds us into “God’s house.”

Mark 10:17-31 . . . Jesus advises a wealthy man who seeks God to obey God’s commandments and to detach from his possessions and focus fully on God.

A Sermon by The Rev. Jason Micheli, Pastor of Annandale United Methodist Church in Annandale, Virginia.  The Ten Commandments in relationship to the gospel. 

The richness of interdependence

Collect: Proper 22

Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve: Pour upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen

Job 1:1, 2:1-10 . . . stricken with suffering by Satan to test his faithfulness to God.

Psalm 26 . . . A Prayer For Level Ground

or

Genesis 2:18-24 & Psalm 8 . . .  describes the complementary nature of man and woman as God originally intended it at creation.

Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12 . . . the relationship of Jesus to God, to God’s creation and to humanity.

Mark 10:2-16 . . . the importance of caring for those most likely to be abandoned

Jim Somerville, Pastor of Richmond’s First Baptist Church and Co-Founder of A Sermon for Every Sunday, preaches this week’s Gospel text from Mark 10:2-16. “There are times when the lectionary forces the preacher to consider texts he or she would rather avoid,” Somerville says. “This Sunday is one of those times.” Is divorce a sin? Is re-marriage adultery? Don’t we wish Jesus had kept these thoughts to himself?

Humility, Compassion and Service

Collect: Proper 20

Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen

Proverbs 31:10-31. . .  praises the ideal wife.

Psalm 1 . . . Life’s Journey: two contrasting ways to live and the teaching they provide

and/or

Wisdom 1:16—2:1, 12-22 . . .  (alternate Canticle) gives voice to the ungodly, who experience the goodness of the righteous as an unwelcome reminder of their selfishness.

James 3:13—4:3, 7-8a. . . reminds us that humility and peaceableness show the wisdom of God.

Mark 9:30-37, , ,  contrasts the disciples’ battle over privilege with Jesus’ proclamation of his radical approach to discipleship—placing ourselves at the disposal of the lowliest of the kingdom.

In today’s sermon, Ginger Gaines-Cirelli, Senior Pastor of the historic Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington, DC, preaches on Mark 9:30-37  “Why do so many of us get bogged down in keeping things from changing?”

A Week Missed, will post later. Sorry

God’s power to heal and restore.

Collect: Proper 18

Grant us, O Lord, to trust in you with all our hearts; for as you always resist the proud who confide in their own strength, so you never forsake those who make their boast of your mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen

Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23 . . .  reminds us that God rewards just behavior.

Psalm 125 . . . God produces the condition of stability, and faith in the “Unmoved  Mover” of the world?

or

Isaiah 35:4-7 and Psalm 146. . . looks ahead to when God will bring healing to God’s people and to the land

and

James 2:1-10, (11-13) 14-17. . . God’s gift of inner, spiritual wholeness, a wholeness that results in outward acts of purity and kindness.

Mark 7:24-37. . . Jesus transforms a man’s silent world by healing his deafness and a speech impediment.

Ryan Ahlgrim, Pastor of First Mennonite Church in Richmond, Virginia, preaches the story of the Syrophoenician Woman from Mark 7:24-37.    “Even Jesus Changes His Mind.”

The challenge of living according to God’s guidelines.

Collect: Proper 17

Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name; increase in us true religion; nourish us with all goodness; and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.  Amen

Song of Solomon 2:8-13. . . celebrates human love in light of God’s love. Moses

Psalm 45:1-2, 7-10 . . . the love that exist in divine-human relationship

or

Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9 and Psalm 15  . . . teaches that the law of the Lord is a gracious gift to God’s people.

and

James 1:17-27 . . .  the word planted within us can save us as we do what it says.

with

Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 . . . right relationship is based on obedience to God, not in compliance with human traditions.

Sermon by The Rev. Dr. Judy Kincaid,  Pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Escanaba, Michigan, and a graduate of the preaching program at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. For this sermon, she preaches on Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, and 21-23. Scandal alert! 

The joys and challenges of following Jesus.

Collect: Proper 16

Grant, we beseech thee, merciful God, that thy Church, being gathered together in unity by thy Holy Spirit, may manifest thy power among all peoples, to the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit, one God, world without end, Amen

1 Kings 8:(1, 6, 10-11), 22-30, 41-43 . . . Solomon expresses his service of God at the dedication of the Jerusalem temple

Psalm 84  . . . the Journey to The Divine Face

or

Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18 with Psalm 34:15-22 . . .  Joshua  leads the people of Israel in the choice to follow God

and

Ephesians 6:10-20 . . .Paul exhorts Christians to protect themselves with the armor of God.

John 6:56-69 . . . Jesus’ words cause many to turn away from him, but the twelve disciples recognize his teaching as the words of eternal life.

Sermon by Rachel May, Pastor of Boulevard United Methodist Church in Richmond, Virginia, preaches a sermon on the Gospel lesson from John 6:56-69. “Jesus has known all along that his ministry would repel as well as attract,” she says. “’Blessed are those whom I do not offend,” Jesus acknowledges elsewhere in the gospels. It hurts to think about people leaving because we know that when people do leave, it hurts. People leave in John 6.” But leaving isn’t the whole story. “Some of the disenchanted go away,” May says, “But others go deeper.

God’s sustenance with the emphasis on the eternal consequences

Collect: Proper 15

Almighty God, who hast given thy only Son to be unto us both a sacrifice for sin and also an example of godly life: Give us grace that we may always most thankfully receive that his inestimable benefit, and also daily endeavor ourselves to fellow the blessed steps of his most holy life; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14. . . Solomon shows his wisdom by his choice of one gift from God

Psalm 111. . . The Path of Virtue

-or-

Proverbs 9:1-6 and Psalm 34:9-14 . .  .  Wisdom gives a feast to which all are invited.

-and-

Ephesians 5:15-20 . . . Paul encourages Christians to be filled with God’s Spirit

John 6:51-58. . . Jesus promises that all who eat his flesh will live forever.

Dr. Jim Somerville, Pastor of Richmond’s First Baptist Church and Co-Founder of A Sermon for Every Sunday, preaches a sermon on this week’s Gospel lesson from John 6:51-58. He begins by describing a scene from the movie “Cocoon,” in which three old men find “a pool in which old age is washed away.” While the thought of eternal youth is tempting to many, Dr. Somerville points out that eternal life is what we really want

Sermon from last week: John 6:35-51 St. John’s Lutheran Church Mattoon, IL Pastor Jacobsen,  Food

God’s sustenance through Jesus who gives himself for us (cont.)

Collect: Proper 14

Grant to us, Lord, we pray, the spirit to think and do always those things that are right, that we, who cannot exist without you, may by you be enabled to live according to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen

2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33 . . . David mourns the death of his rebellious son Absalom.

Psalm 130  . . . The Call for Healing

or

1 Kings 19:4-8 and Psalm 34:1-8 . . . God nourishes Elijah for a journey that takes forty days and forty nights.

and

Ephesians 4:25—5:2 . . . Paul encourages Christians to be as loving as Christ to one another.

John 6:35, 41-51 . , . Jesus promises that he will save all who come to him.

Father Michael Renninger, Pastor of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Richmond, VA, preaches a sermon from John 6:35, 41-51 on Jesus, the Bread of Life.